A fundamental and critical difference between Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World seems to have been entirely overlooked. In SM3DL, you can only rotate the camera a little bit to either side, however in SM3DW you have the ability to freely rotate that camera all around your character like in previous 3D Mario games. Apparently, you can either use the motion controls of the GamePad or you can use the second analog stick to freely control the camera. This is a very significant difference between the two games that should give SM3DW a more Super Mario 64 feel than what SM3DL had.

Since camera controls are so important for 3D platformers, it looks as though SM3DW will be providing us the best of both worlds by defaulting to the parallel-track camera of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and SM3DL, yet also allowing us to freely control that camera, at will, by using the motion controls or the second analog stick as in SM64 and Super Mario Sunshine. I just wonder how well the camera controls will work during multiplayer.

“How co-op/multiplayer-centric is Super Mario 3D World, say someone wants to play it as a single-player game? What’s the single-player experience like by comparison?"

Mr. Hayashida: Yes, we spent a lot of time thinking about the single-player experience in this game, particularly when you’re using the GamePad while playing it, which is my personal choice as well. You can use the touch screen on the GamePad to interact with hidden coins and blocks and reveal them. Or you can activate the gyro camera controls on the touch screen, which you can use to look around in the game, much like you would look around in Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine with the camera controls in that game. I feel like we’ve gotten to the point where it’s feeling really good. And looking around in the 3D world is very important not just for navigation but also for being able to explore and to enjoy the fun of finding things that were hidden.”

If you listen to the E3 Super Mario 3D World Developer Direct video at around 4 mins 50 seconds, you will hear Koichi Hayashida explain that the camera system for the single player mode of Super Mario 3D World is similar to Super Mario 64.

“In past games, like Super Mario 64, you were able to move the camera around while you play. You can play just like that in this game, Super Mario 3D World.”